Sports Coach
- These jobs require immense overall knowledge of the game, usually acquired through years of experience at lower levels.
- Few people who dream of becoming paid professional athletes, coaches, or sports officials beat the odds and make a full-time living from professional athletics.
- Professional athletes often have short careers with little job security.
- Even though the chances of employment as a professional athlete are slim, there are many opportunities for at least a part-time job as a coach, instructor, referee, or umpire in amateur athletics or in high school, college, or university sports.
- Athletes and sports competitors compete in organized, officiated sports events to entertain spectators.
- When playing a game, athletes are required to understand the strategies of their game while obeying the rules and regulations of the sport.
- The events in which they compete include both team sports, such as baseball, basketball, football, hockey, and soccer, and individual sports, such as golf, tennis, and bowling.
- The level of play varies from unpaid high school athletics to professional sports, in which the best from around the world compete in events broadcast on international television.
- Coaches organize amateur and professional athletes and teach them the fundamental skills of individual and team sports.
- (In individual sports, instructors sometimes may fill this role.)
- Coaches train athletes for competition by holding practice sessions to perform drills that improve the athletes' form, technique, skills, and stamina.
- Along with refining athletes' individual skills, coaches are responsible for instilling good sportsmanship, a competitive spirit, and teamwork and for managing their teams during both practice sessions and competitions.
- Before competition, coaches evaluate or scout the opposing team to determine game strategies and practice specific plays.
- During competition, coaches may call specific plays intended to surprise or overpower the opponent, and they may substitute players for optimum team chemistry and success.
- Coaches' additional tasks may include selecting, storing, issuing, and taking inventory of equipment, materials, and supplies.
- Coaches and sports instructors sometimes differ in their approaches to athletes because of the focus of their work.
- For example, while coaches manage the team during a game to optimize its chance for victory, sports instructors—such as those who work for professional tennis players—often are not permitted to instruct their athletes during competition.
- Sports instructors spend more of their time with athletes working one-on-one, which permits them to design customized training programs for each individual. Motivating athletes to play hard challenges most coaches and sports instructors but is vital for the athlete's success.
- Many coaches and instructors derive great satisfaction working with children or young adults, helping them to learn new physical and social skills, improve their physical condition, and achieve success in their sport.
- Irregular work hours are common for athletes, coaches, umpires, referees, and other sports officials. Athletes and full-time coaches usually work more than 40 hours a week for several months during the sports season, if not most of the year.
- Most athletes, coaches, umpires, and related workers get their training from having played in the sport at some level.
- All of these sports-related workers need to have an extensive knowledge of the way the sport is played, its rules and regulations, and strategies, which is often acquired by playing the sport in school or recreation center, but also with the help of instructors or coaches, or in a camp that teaches the fundamentals of the sport.
- They are often required to attend some form of training course or academy.
- The need for athletes, coaches, umpires, and related workers to be licensed or certified to practice varies by sport and by locality. For example, in drag racing, drivers need to graduate from approved schools in order to be licensed to compete in the various drag racing series.
- The governing body of the sport may revoke licenses and suspend players who do not meet the required performance, education, or training. In addition, athletes may have their licenses or certification suspended for inappropriate activity.
- Employment of athletes, coaches, umpires, and related workers is expected to increase by 23 percent from 2008 to 2018, which is much faster than the average for all occupations.
- A larger population overall that will continue to participate in organized sports for entertainment, recreation, and physical conditioning will boost demand for these workers, particularly for coaches, umpires, sports instructors, and other related workers.
- Median annual wages of athletes and sports competitors were $40,480 in May 2008.
- The middle 50 percent earned between $21,760 and $93,710. The highest paid professional athletes earn much more.
- The middle 50 percent earned between $17,410 and $33,150. The lowest paid 10 percent earned less than $15,450, and the highest paid 10 percent earned more than $48,310.